Deontay Wilder has touched down in London and sent a warning to the heavyweight division over a cup of tea.
The hard-hitting American has been out of the ring since a first round knockout of Robert Helenius in October of last year. Prior to that, he was one half of a thrilling heavyweight trilogy with Tyson Fury, drawing one bout and losing two.
With Fury now proudly carrying the WBC belt Wilder held for almost half a decade, he finds himself looking to get back to the top.
That route starts in Saudi Arabia on December 23, and he landed in the UK alongside trainer and former opponent, Malik Scott, to make the press conference.
In a photo on Scott’s Instagram, the caption reads:
“The Real is back… You’re all f***ed.”
Deontay Wilder has now arrived in London ahead of tomorrow's press conference to announce his fight vs Joseph Parker on the same show as Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin, Dec 23rd in Saudi Arabia… pic.twitter.com/jEhYJAHYwu
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 14, 2023
The man Wilder is looking to make his 43rd knockout victory is reportedly Joseph Parker, a former IBF World Champion and training partner of Fury’s.
The New Zealander suffered a bruising defeat to Joe Joyce in 2022, but has bounced back with a streak of three wins over lower level opposition. A fight with Wilder represents perhaps the toughest of Parker’s partnership with trainer Andy Lee.
Their fight is set to be co-main event to that of Anthony Joshua against Otto Wallin, with the mega-card also reportedly featuring Daniel Dubois, Jarrell Miller, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Dmitry Bivol and Jai Opetaia.
Should Joshua and Wilder win their respective bouts, negotiations for a long-awaited fight are set to continue. The initial press conference for the event takes place tomorrow in London.